With Joakim Noah set to return from his suspension, the New York Knicks must find a way for the $72 million dollar man to contribute.
To say that Joakim Noah’s 2016-17 season was bad would be an understatement. After being brought in on a four-year, $72 million dollar deal last summer, Noah was expected to be the captain of a resurgent New York Knicks defense.
The hope was that he’d bring to New York that fiery intensity and passion that made him beloved by Chicago Bulls fans. He did not.
The Knicks ranked 23rd in points allowed per game last season, which couldn’t possibly entirely be Noah’s fault. Yet, at the same time, Joakim looked a step slow when attempting to both defend the pick and roll and keep up with the mobile big men of today’s game.
He was coming off shoulder surgery, and ended up needing it again to repair his rotator cuff, as well as arthroscopic knee surgery. He played a total of 48 games, and was suspended 20 games for violating the NBA’s drug policy.
Not exactly how one would like to start their tenure with a new team.
As he hopes to come back and contribute to the Knicks’ surprisingly hot start to the 2017-18 season, it really isn’t clear what Noah can contribute at this point.
For starters, Noah is an offensive liability. He has zero range on his jump shot, and isn’t as adept at finishing around the rim as he used to be. He’s still one of the best passing big men in the game, but with no ability to keep the defense honest, defenders can sag off him and cut off any passing lanes.
After piling up a laundry list of injuries, his defense has slipped, as well. He simply doesn’t have the energy and springs needed to play with the reckless abandonment that he used to.
Besides Noah’s inconsistency on both sides of the ball, the Knicks simply don’t have any minutes to give him.
Enes Kanter is currently thriving as the starting center, putting up double-doubles on a consistent basis. Kyle O’Quinn has settled nicely into his role of bringing energy off the bench.
Willy Hernangomez, a member of last season’s All-Rookie First Team and the teams third string center, can barely get minutes on most nights.
Even if Noah earned it in practice, with the logjam at the center position and his big men cohorts playing so well, the minutes just aren’t there.
The best strategy for Noah is to simply accept the lack of minutes and do anything possible to help the team. That includes cheering for the guys on the court and rushing to high five them as they walk back to the bench.
It includes challenging teammates during each and every practice, forcing them to improve. These things don’t seem so important, but they contribute to the positive energy and culture of a team.
For New York Knicks fans, it will be frustrating to see $72 million dollars being spent on a player with limited on-court value.
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But for Joakim Noah, if he really wants to contribute to the cause, he has to be willing to do the little things that can make a big difference.